A A ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVEMENT part of the motivation process responsible for MOTIVATION the translation of motivation into action is often called the volitional phase in the control Human life can be described as a continuous work of behaviour (Heckhausen, 1989); during this at tasks. Individuals may or may not be successful phase, goal-oriented action turns into outcomes in facing these tasks. The psychology of achieve- controlled by the degree of goal commitment. ment motivation is engaged to run research projects Goal commitment affects the way persons choose aiming at a better understanding of individual to reach their goals and the selection of strategies performance and the nature of human resources they pursue (Brandtsta¨dter & Renner, 1990). as well as at the development of assessment and Examples for such strategies are to pursue intervention techniques to increase achievement a goal persistently even in case of hindrances or motivation. Tasks in industrial settings and in to adapt flexibly to changing aspects of the service organizations become more and more situation. The translation process works better complex and underlie dynamic changes arising when more specific and concrete goals are set, from changing market demands. To keep indivi- the higher the goal commitment the more duals highly achievement motivated while doing effective the chosen strategies of goal pursuit their jobs, tasks have to be designed with high (Vroom, 1964; Locke & Latham, 1990; Kleinbeck, motivating potentials. in press). From a motivational perspective the action A goal-oriented course of action immune to process is divided into two parts. The first part disturbances is especially supported by specific describes the development of achievement motiva- and concrete goals (goal characteristics; tion as a consequence of a fit between the Figure 1). achievement motive and the achievement-oriented Because of the many single concepts subsumed motivating potentials of the situation. Achievement under the label of achievement motivation, it is motivation initiating action arises through interac- necessary to develop as many measurement tools tion of achievement-oriented motivating potentials as possible to differentiate between the concepts. of the task in its situational context and the strength Outside current research projects, measures of of the achievement motive on the side of the achievement motivation are principally used in performing person. Personal goals controlling industrial setting, in service organizations and in actions result directly from the strength of this educational fields. Here achievement motivation achievement motivation (Figure 1). The second measurement is used to investigate the motivating [8.8.2002–12:29pm] [1–128] [Page No. 1] FIRST PROOFS {Books}Ballesteros/Ballesteros-A.3d Paper: Ballesteros-A Keyword 2 Achievement Motivation Motivational process Achievement to set goals motivation Achievement oriented to set Achievement motive motivating potential goals action (volitional pr Motivational process to Achievement to translate goals into motivation Goal commitment Goal characteristics to translate Strategies in pursuing goals into goals actions ocess) Outcomes Figure 1. Components of achievement motivation. potentials of work tasks and work contexts to TAT with pictorial presentations of situations it make full use of individual resources. becomes possible to penetrate implicitly into the achievement motive system, because this kind of measurement allows one to approach materials of INSTRUMENTS TO ASSESS memory relevant for the motive system. Filling ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION out questionnaires requires ego involvement, self- insight and self-reflection, and also explicit The theory of achievement motivation describes memory, because the answers to the questions can performance as multidimensional and as influ- only be given with the help of conscious reflec- enced by many different factors. The main tion to earlier experiences (Graf & Schacter, personal factor is the achievement motive; the 1985: 501). main task-specific factor is the motivating Schmalt & Sokolowski (2000) discuss the potential of the situation. For diagnostic informa- quality of the different techniques to measure tion about mode and strength of the achievement the achievement motive and conclude that all motive there are three different sources (see available instruments work reliably. TAT and the Schneider & Schmalt, 2000: 50–56): grid technique have comparable and widely diversified validity ranges that are related to 1 Self-judgement respondent and operant behaviour. Question- 2 Judgement by others naires used to diagnose motives seem to be 3 Behavioural indices specialized to predict respondent behaviour and Assessing the strength of the achievement motive conscious experiences (Spangler, 1992). different strategies are used according to these To measure the achievement-oriented motivating sources: operant procedures (e.g. the Thematic potentials of tasks, Hackman & Oldham (1965) Apperception Test – TAT) and respondent proce- developed and presented an instrument, the Job dures (e.g. questionnaires), and the grid technique Diagnostic Survey (JDS), that has well proven its that according to Schmalt (1999) lies in its validity (Fried & Ferris, 1987). The JDS measures methodological background between the first two the motivating potentials of tasks in work situa- types of measurement. Due to this fact, one can tions and also of tasks that students are confronted differentiate implicit and explicit components of with in learning situations (Schmidt & Kleinbeck, the achievement motive. Using the material of the 1999). Measuring the achievement motive and the [8.8.2002–12:29pm] [1–128] [Page No. 2] FIRST PROOFS {Books}Ballesteros/Ballesteros-A.3d Paper: Ballesteros-A Keyword Achievement Motivation 3 motivating potentials of tasks allows one to achievement-oriented process of translating goals determine the strength of achievement motivation. into action, Locke & Latham (1984, 1990) Rheinberg, Vollmeyer & Burns (in press) present present a questionnaire that has been used mainly an instrument to measure achievement motivation in research settings. Other questionnaires try to as a comprehensive construct. With 18 items, four measure clarity of tasks and goals (Sawyer, components of the current state of achievement 1992), clarity of methods (Breaugh & Colihan, motivation are measured: (1) fear of failure; (2) 1994; Schmidt & Hollmann, 1998) and also probability of success; (3) interest; (4) challenge. In clarity of performance judgements (Breaugh & its German and English version, the instrument Colihan, 1994; Kleinbeck & Fuhrmann, 2000). shows satisfying consistencies and according to the These components of achievement motivation first validation data, the measured components of measured by the mentioned questionnaires affect current achievement motivation correlate posi- the motivation to translate goals into action and tively with learning behaviour and performance. as a consequence performance outcome. Schuler & Prochaska (2001) define achievement Recently researchers began to measure goal motivation as a general behavioural orientation. commitment (Hollenbeck et al., 1989). They The instrument they developed – the Hohenheim invested considerable effort because goal setting Test of Achievement Motivation (HTML) – allows is no homogeneous construct. As Tubbs (1993) measuring achievement motivation with 17 scales could show there are three different components in a highly differentiated way. The results of the of goal commitment: the first component has to HTML measures correlate significantly with neuro- do with processes of weighing and evaluating the ticism and conscience in the five-factor model of potential goals. During these processes, one personality (Costa & McCrae, 1980). Measures in calculates mainly values and expectancies that HTML are positively related to success at school, affect the strength of motivational tendencies for university and work so that one can expect a specific goals. The second component contains successful application in personality research and the result of these evaluative processes focussing in educational and occupational testing. on calculations of values and expectancies and To measure goal characteristics (e.g. goal leading to setting a personal goal. This com- specificity and goal difficulty) that influence the ponent is also related to the decision to attain this Table 1. Instruments for measuring components of achievement motivation Instruments Author Concepts measured Method used TAT Murray, 1943; Achievement motive Content analysis of stories McClelland et al. 1953 and other motives (operant) OMT Kuhl, 2000 Achievement motive Content analysis of written stories (operant) MARPS Mehrabian, 1968 Achievement motive Questionnaire (respondent) Grid-technique Schmalt & Sokolowski, Achievement motive Judgement of fit between 1999 pictures and motive- related statements Questionnaire Rheinberg et al., 2000 Current motivation for Questionnaire (respondent) for current learning and performance motivational states AVEM Schaarschmidt & Current work motivation Questionnaire (respondent) Fischer, 1996 HLMT Schuler & Prochaska, 2001 Achievement motivation Questionnaire (respondent) JDS Hackman & Oldham, 1965 Motivating potential Questionnaire (self-judgement of tasks and judgement by others) Fragebogen fu¨ r Locke & Latham, 1990 Goal specificity and others Questionnaire (respondent) Zielcharakteristika